


Sincerely, Chanukah

by neglectedrainbow



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: F/F, Gen, M/M, and they all celebrate chanukah and are happy and all is well, it's what she deserves.gif, they're all jewish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-14 02:29:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12997857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neglectedrainbow/pseuds/neglectedrainbow
Summary: The Hansen house is thick with the smell of frying potatoes, onions, and carrots. The scent of rich oil filters through the air. Evan stands over the hot stovetop, delicately flipping the latkes with a wooden spoon, feeling the heat radiate upwards across his face. Jared hovers beside him, mashing cooked apples with a fork, melding them into a thick sauce.OR: Everyone from Dear Evan Hansen comes together to celebrate Chanukah.





	Sincerely, Chanukah

**Author's Note:**

> hello everybody!! i have seen no (zero!!) chanukah deh fanfics and that honestly is....unacceptable. so, here you go, a deh chanukah fanfic! i love dear evan hansen, i love chanukah, so this is perfect. 
> 
> also, in case you didn't know, here's a helpful explanation of some words:
> 
>  _latkes_ \- a traditional chanukah food made by frying potatoes in oil (and more!)
> 
>  _pareve_ \- no meat or dairy
> 
>  _schmalz_ \- animal fat sometimes used in cooking (my grandmother's cooking at least)
> 
>  _israeli salad_ \- some cucumbers and tomatoes and parsley etc. all tossed together. very very good
> 
>  _sufganiyot_ \- a traditional chanukah donut filled with jelly
> 
>  _chanukiah_ \- menorah
> 
>  _mayven_ \- someone who's very good at something in particular, usually used sarcastically, but sometimes not
> 
>  _purim and rosh hashanah_ \- other holidays celebrated by jewish people (my favorite is purim)
> 
>  _shamash_ \- the helper candle used to light all the other candles in a menorah, usually placed higher than the rest

The Hansen house is thick with the smell of frying potatoes, onions, and carrots. The scent of rich oil filters through the air. Evan stands over the hot stovetop, delicately flipping the latkes with a wooden spoon, feeling the heat radiate upwards across his face. Jared hovers beside him, mashing cooked apples with a fork, melding them into a thick sauce. 

In the living room, settled beside Alana, Connor rests on the ground, his neck tilted backwards as her fingers running deftly through his hair, separating out the curls before expertly weaving his hair into two even plaits. Across the room, Zoe reorganizes the table yet again, carefully placing napkins and settling the plates.

Alana’s fathers--flanked by Jared’s mom, Cynthia, and Larry--settle into the cramped living room as Heidi locates some sparkling water.

The latkes sizzle and the oil cools as Evan turns off the stove, settling the latkes onto some paper towels to drain as Jared finishes the applesauce.

Then, the two move into the small dining room, working cleanly off of each other, setting everything down into its place as the other guests filter in. Normally only fit for accommodating Evan and his mom, the room is rather haphazard, chairs from other rooms pulled in and around a cramped, decade-old table. But, nonetheless, even elbow-to-elbow, no one even thinks of complaining.

There’s something unforgettable about the Hansen household, about the delicate unity of it all, that makes them all feel instantly at home.

After everyone finds their seat, 11 people squeezing into an area normally reserved for two, Evan points to one of the plates of latkes. “I made this batch with just olive oil, and a little peanut oil, too, totally pareve, so that’ll work for you, Connor.”

Connor smiles, his head tilted down, hand moving to tuck his hair behind his ears before realizing that he doesn’t need to, his locks secured tightly in place by Alana’s neat braids.

“This one’s got a little bit of schmalz.” Evan gestures to the second plate on the table, slight steam still drifting upwards from the dishes. “Not a lot, though, because-” 

“We don’t need more of a push towards early heart attacks,” Heidi finishes, chuckling. “It’s how my mother used to always make them, but some traditions can stay in the past.”

Evan adds, “And there’s some sour cream, too.”

“And here’s some applesauce, made-” Jared says.

“And almost destroyed at least six times,” Evan interjects, bumping his shoulder into Jared’s jokily.

Jared turns, fixing his gaze onto Evan’s. “Maybe so…” His eyes narrow jokily, before a smile breaking over his face. “Anyway, as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, these were made by yours truly. While I may have had some slight mishaps.”

“Is almost burning down the house and throwing out multiple batches a slight mishap?” Evan says, chuckling.

“Hey!” 

Evan runs a hand through his hair, pushing the dark blonde curls back. “There’s a reason I bought extra apples, Jared; I knew this would happen.”

Jared turns to the others, his eyebrows raised. “I am, well, I am appalled, frankly, my most passionate love in life, the culinary arts, being harmed and pushed aside in such a frankly offensive way. Frankly, I-” 

Laughter breaks through his pretend offense, the end of his sentence faltering off. 

After all the time they’ve spent together, Jared couldn’t be more glad that Evan has started joking with him, giving just as good as he’s getting. 

His heart feels so warm it almost hurts.

Alana grins, “You’ve said the word ‘frankly’ more times in one sentence than most people do in their entire lives.”

“It’s his new word-of-the-day,” Connor says, nudging Alana with his elbow as the two descend into a fit of giggles.

“How do you even burn apples?” Zoe interjects, a smile creeping across her face even as she folds her arms. 

Jared huffs. “Why has this suddenly turned into a ‘let’s all just drag Jared’ session?” He leans back into his seat, glancing across the table. “You know what, do you have any wine by any chance, Ms. Hansen?”

“Jared!” Alana gripes, nudging him. “You’re only seventeen!”

Heidi chuckles, reminding him to “Call me Heidi, darling” for perhaps the seven hundredth time.

Evan turns, “You know what, I thought it was kind of impressive, actually,” he murmurs, voice low.

Jared glances to him, his foot hooking around Evan’s ankle underneath the table, their legs flush against each other. “Thanks,” he replies, his brown eyes glittering.

“Oh!” Evan untangles himself from Jared, shooting up from the table. “I almost forgot, I’m so sorry, one moment.” 

He darts out of the room, yanking open the slightly warm oven and opening the refrigerator, pulling out two wrapped dishes, and returns quickly, setting the plates down onto the quickly filling table. “Of course, here’s some Israeli salad, from Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. And there’s sufganiyot, courtesy of Mr. and Mr. Beck on the counter for later, too. I completely forgot, normally we light the chanukiah first and then eat, I completely-I totally blanked-”

“It’s fine, darling,” Cynthia reassures him warmly.

“I completely forgot as well,” Alana’s dad, Daniel, agrees. “It’s absolutely fine.” His voice is low and calm, while his husband’s is higher, faster. Suddenly, Evan can see perfectly how Alana fits between them. 

Evan inhales deeply, then exhales.

He slowly makes his way back to his seat, his breathing steadying once again, his lips shut tight, trapping the continuing torrent of words and apologies just below the surface. His eyes flicker around the table, taking in the faces and the noises. Nobody’s looking at him. Nobody’s judging him. The tension drips out of his shoulders.

His mind refocuses as Jared’s leg presses against his once again, warm and present. “Quite the culinary mayven,” Jared comments, his tone teasing.

Evan flicks his arm lightly, his face pinched. 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Jared backtracks and lightly snatches his wrist, holding it gently, his thumb brushing soothingly over the back of Evan’s hand. “I didn’t meant it like that.”

Ducking his head, a blush spreads across Evan’s cheeks, before Jared catches his chin with a single finger, softly bringing their gaze together. “The great host of what will be a truly wonderful night.”

Evan’s green eyes soften, and he leans forward, chastely brushing his lips against Jared’s cheek as the world around him slips away. “Thank you.” He swallows, his voice low, for just the two of them. “After everything this year, I just-I just want it all to be perfect.”

“And it will be. It already is,” Jared replies, encouragingly, pressing a kiss to Evan’s temple. “Don’t worry.”

Zoe huffs next to them, “Stop, stop, I can’t handle the cuteness, it’s too strong! It hurts my eyes.”

The two pull back, matching grins spreading across their faces. 

The conversation settles, fervor slowing as stomachs fill. Alana’s dads talk with Heidi about the annoyances of ever-raising college tuition between stealing bits of food of each other's plates, their warm eyes heavy with fondness. 

Larry talks with a rather confused-looking Jared about the results of the previous night’s baseball game. 

Alana discusses her interest in becoming a paramedic with Cynthia while Zoe and Connor bicker about their favorite holidays, with Zoe arguing for Purim while Connor swears by Rosh Hashanah. 

Evan can’t stop smiling.

+

Back at their house, Zoe and Connor set up their own menorahs, Zoe’s with green candles and Connor’s with purple. In her home, Alana stands by her fathers and recites the shehecheyanu. All is well.

+

“You set it up from the right then light it from the left,” Jared explains as he removes some blue candles from their container.

Evan nods, swallowing, “I always get it mixed up.” He pauses, the tight fabric of his sweater feeling a little rough against his skin, his mind elsewhere, remembering childhood years with his father, standing before a Christmas tree and never truly feeling at home.

He pauses, shaking himself into the present, turning to face Jared. “I’m sorry your parents couldn’t be here.”

Jared shrugs, “It’s fine. Work is wild, you know. Being out of town...it’s fine. It’s not even a big holiday, really. And I’m here with you, so, feels like a win, doesn’t it?”

Softly, nodding, Evan places his menorah onto a small stand, just in front of the windowsill. “You want to share with me?” 

Jared grins, grabbing two particular candles, and joining Evan by the window. “You’ll let me light the shamash?”

“Of course.” 

Jared steps closer, stretching his hand out, palm open. Evan’s fingers wrap around the back of his hand, cold pressed against warm. They stand their for a few moments, the two candles pressed between their palms. The smell of latkes and sufganiyot remain in the air, thick and cozy. 

Jared’s chest constricts. Everything they’ve been through, just throughout this last year. 

Evan’s attempt, Connor’s attempt, how they met each other for the first time in the hospital, both so desperate to get better but afraid to really do it. 

How Connor became such a solid member of their friend group after that, how Alana and Zoe finally admitted their feelings for one another, how Zoe and Connor work every day to bring their relationship back to what it once was, to forgive.

How he and Evan finally admitted their feelings for one another.

Their first kiss.

He remembers it all.

He’s so proud of them.

Evan pulls his hand away slowly, fingertips lingering softly as he takes one of the candles.

Jared strikes the long match evenly against the box’s phosphorus side a few times, waiting. As the flame finally ignites, the two boys feels ready to begin again. A new start.

And it's beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> and there you go! my experience with chanukah is pretty similar to evan's (didn't really experience it much as a child, but am now reconnecting with my actual faith, and feeling pretty awesome about it). i hope that, if you celebrate it, you have a lovely and rewarding chanukah.
> 
> also...find me on tumblr at [neglectedrainbow](http://neglectedrainbow.tumblr.com/) and talk to me about anything at all!


End file.
